“We all have to stand for good government,” Hickenlooper said. “That means maintaining the public’s trust and wherever possible avoiding even the appearance of any impropriety. We appreciate the service these trustees have given to their communities.”

The Governor’s Office is working with each trustee to establish an appropriate transition so there is no interruption in service to the public. The Governor’s Office will begin accepting applications through the Office of Boards and Commissions. For more information, go to www.colorado.gov/governor or e-mail boards@state.co.us.

Last week, and in response to reports about questionable spending among the appointed public trustees, the Governor’s Office issued new guidelines for the 10 public trustees appointed by the governor. Those guidelines are:

• Submitting a conflict of interest disclosure each year and disclosing any professional licenses.
• Following state rules on the use of any vehicle owned by the public trustee’s office. That includes not using state vehicles for personal use.
• Receiving approval of all purchases greater than $5,000.
• Following state rules on official functions.
• Restricting the gifts purchased for employees.

Each of the public trustees received Amendment 41 and ethics training last year.

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About public trusteesPublic Trustees handle public transactions and foreclosures on real estate properties. They oversee the administration of Deeds of Trust including releasing them when a loan has been satisfied and foreclosing in the event of default. The public trustee is also responsible for the collection of tax accounts for Land Purchase Contracts for Deed within his or her county.